Wesleyan Men’s Soccer entered its NESCAC road opener against the undefeated Bates Bobcats looking for a much-needed win. The Red and Black went 2–2–0 in out-of-conference play and drew their only NESCAC match against the Hamilton Continentals.
For most of the game, the Cardinals’ defense was the story. Facing a formidable Bates attack—which entered the game with the second-most goals scored in the conference—Wesleyan held them to only one shot on goal, which goalie Mathis Blanc ’26 turned away. Wesleyan’s attack was proving successful, generating five shots on goal in the first 85 minutes, but they were unable to tuck any of them in, and a tie appeared inevitable. Despite this, defender Riley Harvey ’29 saw signs throughout the game that favored the Red and Black.
“We were really on the front foot, pressing hard and not giving them anything to work with,” Harvey said. “I strongly feel that was the hardest we’ve searched for a goal throughout any 90 minutes so far this season. I felt a new energy that was a complete game-changer. It was a physical, back-and-forth game, but we came in prepared and stuck to the plan. Throughout the team, I saw lots of determination to fight, win balls, and ultimately create a goal. You could tell opportunities were coming as the game went on, and honestly felt like it was only a matter of time until one connected.”
The Cardinals were on the brink of heading back to Connecticut with a draw, as their final opportunity seemed to slip away when Yousuf Saeed ’27 delivered a perfect cross into the box, only to see it deflected out of bounds. With just 12 seconds left in the game, the referee finally awarded a corner kick. The Cardinals were going to be unable to set up their attack. However, the Bobcats’ goalkeeper was called for a violation while attempting to kick the ball away and waste time, forcing the referee to stop the clock and give the Cardinals one final chance to organize their attack with four seconds remaining.
With one last chance, Aiden Londergan ’27 stepped up to deliver the corner kick. All 10 Cardinals were in the box as the ball swung in toward goal. Harvey, playing all 90 minutes of his first NESCAC away match, positioned himself perfectly to put a head on the ball. The first-year defender rose and sent the ball straight to the top right of the net, out of reach of the goalkeeper. The ball hit the back of the net with two seconds left, and as the sea of red rushed to converge in the corner, the final buzzer sounded, giving the Cardinals a 1–0 victory. Harvey later reflected on how this decisive play unfolded.
“We’ve spent lots of time in practice trying out different ideas for set pieces and what to do in certain scenarios,” Harvey said. “Shockingly, I was given a gap of space to run into on this last play of the game. I was left unmarked. Like a stud, Aiden Londergan sent in an out-swinging ball from the corner spot and found my head on the run. It was absolutely unreal. In the moment, I forgot it was me who scored and was just absolutely pumped to see the ball in the back of the net. I booked it straight over to the corner flag. I ran straight to Aiden, and soon got rushed by the rest of the boys. That moment with the team all celebrating and screaming around me will never be forgotten.”
Harvey’s goal secured the Cardinals’ first NESCAC win of the season and their third consecutive victory in Lewiston, Maine. Eight of their remaining nine games come against NESCAC opponents. Next weekend brings two challenging road tests: first against the Tufts Jumbos, who enter at 5–1–1 with three straight wins, followed by a matchup with the undefeated Middlebury Panthers. The Cardinals will be looking to make the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season, and Zach Feldman ’27 spoke to the gravity of this win.
“The NESCAC, for men’s soccer, is by far the most competitive D-III conference in the country, so whenever you are able to come away with a win, that’s a very big step towards the playoffs,” Feldman said. “We knew it was even more important because it’s always difficult, no matter who you play, to come home from Maine with a win. The post-game locker room became electric.”
Sam Weitzman-Kurker can be reached at sweitzmankur@wesleyan.edu.
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